Colts Qs: How Did Anthony Richardson Look in OTAs?

In the last two weeks, the Indianapolis Colts have experienced the loss of owner Jim Irsay while also completing their first week of organized team activities on the field, giving a first glance at Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones.

In the latest edition of "Colts Qs," readers showed curiosity about the future of the team, from the quarterback position to ownership. *Some questions edited for clarity.

"Have there been any standouts in OTAs or Rookie Minicamp?" -- Locked On Colts insider program

The tight ends have been the most glaringly positive thing for me, especially seeing Tyler Warren both in rookie camp and OTAs. He was obviously going to be fed the ball against his rookie counterparts, but that didn't stop during OTAs when the rookies mixed in with the veterans. Warren was involved early and often during OTAs, connecting with both Richardson and Jones, and he made big plays downfield and with yards after the catch.

Fellow tight end Will Mallory was also a standout during OTAs. I thought both he and rookie running back DJ Giddens moved at a different speed than a lot of their teammates, whether they had the ball in their hands or not.

The depth linebackers are getting a big opportunity with both Zaire Franklin and Jaylon Carlies recovering from surgeries, and Liam Anderson made the most of it by intercepting Richardson late in last Wednesday's OTA practice.

"What's your fair assessment of Carlie Irsay-Gordon as owner over football operations? Do you see her as someone that's unafraid to shake things up or hang onto certain personnel out of sentimentality?" -- Dave Roller, Facebook

"Probably an impossible question to answer, but here goes: With Jim’s passing, do Ballard and Steichen have more time?" -- Echoes78, Twitter

Carlie has been working throughout the organization for 20-plus years, with her involvement from an ownership standpoint ramping up over the last decade or so. Surely, she has formed her own opinions on things, especially with how involved she is on the football side of it. I doubt everything is just on a clean slate now, but we don't have precedent for what to expect from her when things get messy. I imagine we'll see how the season goes. If the Colts seem to be moving in the right direction, it may be wise to keep things as is, but we don't know what things look like otherwise.

"What can we expect to see on the qb battle? Is it a true battle or AR's spot to lose?" -- Luis Martinez, Facebook

It's hard to imagine it not being Richardson's job to lose. It's better for the organization if he earns the starting spot. He's who they drafted with a top-five pick, and he's the one with the sky-high potential. Still, this will come down to who pushes the team to win. The offense has more upside with Richardson in it, but if it continues to be impossible to maintain any consistency with him as the quarterback, we may see Jones in that spot.

"I’m worried about the Linebacker depth. Love Zaire, and I think Carlies is a perfect pass down specialist, but the lack of talent at LB2 is a bit concerning for run defense. You think there will be more penny fronts, or just heavily relying on the DL for run defense?" -- Chris Yingling, Twitter

This is a defense heavily skewed toward featuring defensive backs, so the onus will be on the front seven to do their jobs against the run. That's been Franklin's specialty in his career, so they're relying on that, as well as Carlies to pick it up in that department. They'll likely rarely be in base defense, so their DBs will need to be good tacklers, but the bulk of that will need to be on the line and linebackers.

"With Ballard in a must-win season, could you see him become aggressive in the trade market if the season gets off to a slow start?" -- Nathan Alan Barnhart, Twitter

That's a great question. I lean toward "no," however. The Colts heavily value continuity, and as apprehensive as Ballard and the Colts already are to trade for players, to do it in-season is even less likely. Let's say they lose a key player or there's an area clearly underperforming, I do think they might be more aggressive in adding a free agent to that spot, though. My mind immediately goes to the linebacker position. If their lack of depth rears its head, or they're not doing a good job against the run, there are established veterans out there.

"Who wins backup OT job?"

"Expected snap share % of new player Justin Walley?"

"What specific areas has AR improved this off-season that is noticeable?" -- Jeffrey Cassell, Twitter

I do think it's totally up in the air between Blake Freeland and Jalen Travis for the swing tackle spot in 2025, but it makes much more sense for Travis to get the job as long as Freeland doesn't run away with it. Travis was likely drafted with the intention of being the future right tackle.

My guess is that Walley is the fourth or fifth corner in 2025, depending on whether they part with JuJu Brents or Samuel Womack. Last year with the Cincinnati Bengals, Lou Anarumo's fourth cornerback still played just over 500 snaps (44%). I imagine we'll see Walley in that 25-50% range.

The media have only been able to see one practice from Richardson so far, so it's a little early for us to tell, but I know his footwork and mechanics have been a big sticking point this offseason. Hopefully, he can keep those things in check while he's in the pocket, but his accuracy becomes erratic when he moves out of the pocket.

"How did the Jets game happen last year? Coming off a benching, against an at least solid defense AR played a truly phenomenal game throwing and running. Then both him and Shane seemed to regress again before the back injury ended things." -- Philip Schatz, Twitter

I can't explain it, but I feel like both Richardson and Steichen excel when the plan is thrown out the window and they have to act on their feet. For Richardson, it's in the form of late-game situations when things have to be done urgently. As for Steichen, it often comes when his starting quarterback goes down and the backup comes in. Both seem to revolve around having to act immediately and not being able to overthink things. If the Colts can figure out why things go awry in the second and third quarters, they might be in for more consistent football.

"Has Anthony’s throwing motion been improved?" -- Timothy Young, Twitter

"How does Richardson look? Do you recognize any changes?" -- solidkid_dj, Twitter

"Is it too early to over analyze mechanics for the qbs? It's definitely too early for ota stat comparisons, but I was curious if it's fair to look at things guys were supposed to work on. Like not standing flat footed when throwing short..." -- tremltreml, Bluesky

Like I mentioned earlier, it's still pretty early for us to tell where Richardson has improved. However, some things I think the Colts would like to see would be him throwing with a base more often and taking checkdowns. When he's intentional about it, his footwork and mechanics do look good, and you can tell he's been working on them.

"Catchable balls versus uncatchable balls percentile? Who is not catching the catchable balls? Can you break down the receivers? Which ones are thriving and which ones are crying? Flat out drops by which receivers?" -- My opinion is my Own., Twitter

Looking at the percentage of catchable targets dropped (according to Pro Football Focus), among players who were thrown the ball with any regularity last year, AD Mitchell (14.8%), Jonathan Taylor (14.3%), and Kylen Granson (12.5%) comfortably ranked the worst. Neither Mitchell nor Taylor was able to bring in a single contested catch, either. Granson is obviously gone at this point, and Giddens and Khalil Herbert may take more of Taylor's pass-catching opportunities.

"If you could pick any 1 Colts road game to attend in 2025 (not including Berlin), which game would it be and why?" -- ZB, Twitter

"What is your favorite away gameday experience?" -- MGLP, Bluesky

I've been to Nashville and Houston, which are great cities that I love visiting, but I've yet to go to Seattle. Not only the city itself, but the atmosphere inside Lumen Field would be great to experience.

With the caveat that I don't travel much during the season, I do love Cincinnati. Last summer, in particular, was a good time. Before the preseason finale against the Bengals, I got to town pretty early. They have a stretch in between Great American Ballpark and Paycor Stadium that is somewhat similar to Georgia Street here in Indy, and that was an awesome atmosphere.

"Has there been any news on a possible Raimann extension? If so, what kind of deal you think he's gonna get?"

"Also, say the colts narrowly miss the playoffs but Richardson stays healthy all 17 games and shows some improvement, what's a realistic stat line that would be good enough for Ballard, Steichen, and Richardson to all return once again in 2026?" -- j6700, Bluesky

I haven't heard anything, although Colts GM Chris Ballard is always tight-lipped on contract stuff. However, if I were the Colts, I would knock out Raimann's extension now. There are already 15 tackles in the NFL making at least $20 million per year, and he will certainly be among them. He's not going to get any cheaper. Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles got four years, $82 million. Raimann might be looking at a little more than that.

If Richardson can give them somewhere around 3,750-4,000 total yards of offense, with 20-plus touchdowns, 15 or fewer turnovers, and a completion percentage of at least 55%, I think that'd be considered a big win.

"What's the holdup with JT Tuimoloau's contract? Is this something we need to worry about yet?" -- Southbound Harrison, Bluesky

Nothing to be concerned about. There are only two second-round picks across the entire NFL that have signed so far, and that's the first two picks of the round. Second-rounders are trying to get guaranteed contracts like the first-rounders have. I think this is going to be a waterfall situation across the NFL sometime before training camp, where they begin signing in bunches.

"Over/Under 1.5 draft picks cut for 53 man roster? Which picks would this be (if any)?"

"What is the likelihood we see one or more of Germaine Pratt, Von Bell, or Mike Hilton in a Colts uniform week 1 of the season?"

"In January 2026, in terms of NFL team rankings, which Colts squad do you think will be higher, offense or defense?" -- Locked On Colts insider program

I actually think all eight stand a pretty good chance of making it. The Colts probably won't want to risk exposing Riley Leonard to waivers in order to get him to the practice squad. Hunter Wohler may become a core special-teamer and occasional contributor on defense. Tim Smith wasn't the sexiest pick, but the Colts will desperately need good run defenders on the line in this defense.

Probably not Mike Hilton because the Colts already have Kenny Moore II and Justin Walley, but there's a decent chance for Germaine Pratt or Vonn Bell. I don't think the Colts will trade for Pratt, but the Bengals replaced him this offseason with Demetrius Knight Jr., Barrett Carter, and Oren Burks. If they release Pratt, then the Colts could add him to be a safe, effective player for Lou Anarumo. Vonn Bell could fill a similar role for a secondary that needs depth at safety, but he's already on the market.

If the quarterback situation looks promising, then the offense. Everything is already there, from a good group of receivers, a young stud tight end in Tyler Warren, a younger, promising offensive line, and a running back group with Jonathan Taylor and DJ Giddens. The defense could look pretty good as well, but they have just as many questions.

"What’s more likely for the defense this year? Start with a bang, hit their stride mid-season, or start showing promise towards the end?" -- @ZONSON3000, YouTube

I think they might hit their stride in the middle of the schedule. They have the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers in Weeks 8 and 9, and a bye before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. I understand the Chiefs are the Chiefs, but they ranked 17th offensively last year, and we all saw the Super Bowl.

"Just one… are the Colts ever going to be good?" -- Steven, Twitter